No fowl play as chain gains another fan

MY one and only visit to Nando’s was eight years ago and I was distinctly
unimpressed.

But its popularity has grown in recent years, especially among the younger generation for its great value, and among families because it’s better tasting and less toxic than the other chain alternatives.

I decided it was time to put my grudge aside and give it another shot.

I visited Nando’s, in Cheshire Oaks, on a Wednesday night, when it was packed to the rafters and we had not booked a table.

We waited for about 15 minutes near the entrance but the loud chatter and quirky South African decor made for a good distraction.

We took a seat at our table for two and were reminded by our waiter to order at the till.

Considering most meals were some variation of a chicken dish, I was very impressed with the choice.

I was particularly taken with the double chicken breast fillet wrap, the marinated whole chicken and even the chicken livers and Portuguese roll.

I was even more inspired with the veggie options like the mushroom and halloumi burger, the beanie pitta and the Mediterranean salad.

But like my friend the Nando’s veteran, I opted for the flame-grilled butterfly chicken breast and added sides of creamy mash and coleslaw, while he had chips and rice.

The food came super fast, so fast in fact, that we had not long sat down from serving ourself our own refillable soft drinks.

Perhaps I would have liked a bit more time to chat, but I appreciate it was busy and there was no time to mess about.

I played it safe and asked for medium peri-peri sauce on my chicken, and tasty it was.

The creamy mash and coleslaw were equally moreish, although I would have appreciated slightly bigger portions.

My daredevil friend went for the hotter alternative and fought back tears to inform me it was delicious in spite of its spiciness.

His chips and rice were standard, and he agreed we could have done with bigger portions.

The chicken itself was cooked to perfection, with a mouth-watering crispy skin but succulent inside.

Next time I might challenge myself to the whole chicken.

As our food settled we checked out the dessert menu and were tempted by choc-a-lot cake with double cream, gooey caramel cheesecake and passion fruit gelado.

But with a movie to catch we finished our Cokes and left.

My impression of Nando’s has changed and I now understand why people rave about this restaurant.